Glasnevin Community Update

20th March, 2014

Dear Resident,

I am writing to provide you with some information on local issues which may be of interest to you. I work closely with Councillor Mary O’Shea and Fine Gael Local Election candidates, David Rouse and Jimmy Prendergast on all local matters. Please contact us if we can be of help to you or your family.

 

GLASNEVIN TRAFFIC MATTERS
Officials in the Traffic Department of Dublin City Council are currently examining a number of requests for parking restrictions and other traffic schemes across the Glasnevin district. Traffic Engineers are currently carrying out on-site surveys and assessments with regards a request for the introduction of Pay & Display and Permit Parking in Dalcassian Downs. The City Council has yet to make a recommendation as to the possible introduction of Double Yellow Lines around the green in Dalcassian Downs. A request has also been made of the Traffic Department for the removal of the Bus Lane along the Ballyboggan Road. This proposal was only received by the Council just after Christmas so it is unlikely that any decision will be taken for some time yet. The introduction of Double Yellow Lines around the green in Prospect Square is also being considered now by the City Council. As soon as I have information from the City Council in respect of decisions on these requests, I will be in touch with residents to keep you updated.

 

ROYAL CANAL CYCLE ROUTE PLAN
Dublin City Council engineers have prepared a preliminary design for the Royal Canal Premium Cycle Route from Sheriff Street through to Phibsborough and onto Ashtown. It is now envisaged that work will take place between now and Easter to enable the plans be prepared as a Part VIII Planning Application to be initiated by Councillors later in the spring. The coming weeks will see a consultation process take place with local community groups and other interested bodies in order to agree on a formal planning application that will receive the support of Councillors. I have spoken with the Minister for Transport who has advised me that the National Transport Authority has committed to providing the money for this project to advance to the formal planning phase this year.

 

REMINDER ABOUT SAME DAY BIN COLLECTIONS
The new City Council Bye Laws governing the presentation and collection of household and commercial waste came into effect from Monday last. One of the most significant regulations included in the Bye Laws is the introduction of ‘Same Day Bin Collections’. This means all waste collection operators will have to remove presented household rubbish on the same day across a given district. For residents in Glasnevin, bin collection day will be Wednesday, irrespective of which operator you have signed up to. I am working with Fine Gael Councillors to ensure that the Council undertakes a greater level of street cleaning following the full implementation of these new laws.

 

CITY-WIDE POLICE BURGLARY OPERATION
Concern about the apparent increase in attempted burglaries has been raised with me at various residents’ meeting have attended in recent weeks. This is a worrying development and it is one that I am liaising closely with senior Gardai about. The Chief Superintendent has advised me this week that local Gardai have been involved in a City-wide operation put in place by the Assistant Commissioner for Dublin to target the threat of burglaries. Targeted burglary patrols have now been introduced across the Division to combat the risk of homes being broken into and residents being burgled. This initiative comprises of mobile patrols that are directed and controlled by the Garda Command & Control Centre. Local Gardai are directed to carry out patrols in specified areas at specified times. I hope that the successful implementation of is initiative will mean that the homes of residents across Glasnevin are better protected from the risk of break-in.

 

GLASNEVIN DISTRICT GULLY CLEANING REPORT 2013
Ensuring that the drainage network is clear of blockages and is fit to work to the maximum is something that I continue to raise with the Drainage Division of Dublin City Council. I constantly liaise with the Gully Cleaning team seeking to have gullies and shores cleared across the Glasnevin district. I sought a report from the Council recently on the amount of gully cleaning that took place across the Glasnevin district in 2013. The details supplied to me shows that a substantial amount of gully cleaning took place last year. For example, gullies on the Finglas Road were cleaned on seventeen separate occasions, Ballyboggan Road gullies were cleared on six times and Dalcassian Downs on four occasions. The most recent cleaning in Glasnevin Woods saw twenty-two of the twenty-three gullies checked and cleaned. Cleaning on Clareville Grove, saw thirteen of the fifteen gullies cleaned and all four gullies on St. Philomena’s Road were cleaned. All shores and gullies on Claremont Court, Claremont Lawns and The Willows were cleaned recently. Again, if there are blocked shores and gullies, please contact me so that I can arrange for their clearing.

 

NATIONAL SPRING CLEAN 2014
This year’s National Spring Clean will take place between April 1st and 30th. Any community group or residents’ association seeking to take part in this year’s event can find out more information about the registration process at www.nationalspringclean.org. Alternatively, interested groups can call 01 400 2219. Officials from the Public Domain Unit of Dublin City Council have assured me that the Council will be supporting An Taisce and any groups taking part by supplying equipment and removal services for community clean ups.

 

INTRODUCING DAVID ROUSE & JIMMY PRENDERGAST
Fine Gael has recently selected two candidates to contest the forthcoming Local Elections that will take place on May 23rd. They are David Rouse and Jimmy Prendergast. David Rouse is originally from CSligo, lives in Royal Canal Park and served as Chairman of the Royal Canal Park Community Association for many years. He can be contacted at 086 355 0951 or by email at daverouse@gmail.com. Jimmy Prendergast is originally from Stoneybatter but has lived in Finglas since the early 1980s. Jimmy has served as Chairman of Finglas Celtic FC for nine years and worked on Fassaugh Avenue for twelve years. He can be contacted at 087 663 4285 or by email at jimmyple14@gmail.com.

Should there be any local or national matter where I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or Councillor Mary O’Shea and we’ll do whatever we can to help.

 

Yours sincerely,

PASCHAL DONOHOE TD
MINISTER FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS
FINE GAEL – DUBLIN CENTRAL